Introduction to Geology Quiz

Which is an objective statement?

• Geology is an important science.

• Tacos are a Mexican dish, whereas pasta is Italian.

• My father is a good man.

• Banana cupcakes are the best.

What distinguishes science from pseudoscience?

• Pseudoscience uses experimentation to objectively reach conclusions.

• Science deals with the mainstream ideas, pseudoscience does not.

• In science, we just know that things are the way they are.

• Concepts must be falsifiable to be considered science.

A hypothesis is _________________________

• a tentative explanation for some observed phenomena that is the starting point for further investigation

• a well-tested and generally accepted explanation for some observed natural phenomena

• a statement or description of some observed natural phenomena that appears always to be true

• a standard model of some sort used to describe everyday occurrences

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To scientists, a theory is _________________________

• a standard model of some sort used to describe everyday occurrences

• a tentative explanation for some observed phenomena that is the starting point for further investigation

• a well-tested and generally accepted explanation for some observed natural phenomena

• a statement or description of some observed natural phenomena that appears always to be true

Which is an example of deductive reasoning?

• Gravity worked the same way in the past as it does today.

• A volcano that erupts on Earth today will not erupt any differently in the future.

• Most Finnish people have blonde hair and blue eyes. Jaakko is a Finn, so he probably has blonde hair and blue eyes.

• If Plate Tectonics is true, then eventually, a new supercontinent like Pangea will form again.

Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning, in contrast with Aristotelian deductive reasoning?

• Because certain earthquake waves do not travel through the outer core of the Earth means that it is liquid

• Most Finnish people have blonde hair and blue eyes. Jaakko is a Finn, so he probably has blonde hair and blue eyes.

• A volcano that erupts on Earth today will not erupt differently in the future

• If Plate Tectonics is true, then eventually, a new supercontinent like Pangea will form again.

What simple scientific technique did geologists like Hutton, Steno, and Lyell use to draw fundamental geologic conclusions?

• Studying gems and metal deposits to understand their geology

• Comparing ancient rocks/fossils to modern counterparts

• Performing experiments to replicate the rocks they found

• Analyzing the chemistry of many different kinds of rocks

Which of these assumptions is required for uniformitarianism to hold true?

• Volcanoes and floods and similar landscape-shaping forces must have had the same intensity in the past as they do now.

• The geologic features and layers that we see today were formed by a series of brief catastrophic events.

• Processes have been following the same set of rules of nature since the beginning of time.

• Geologic time is vast and all processes must have occurred slowly.

What paradigm shift in geology most changed the way geologists look at the world?

• Plate tectonics

• Evolution

• Deep time

• Extinction

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Which of the following is NOT important in judging the credibility of a source?

• Source contains references to other peer-reviewed sources

• Produced by an institution with a long history of being trustworthy

• Made by scientists who have never been wrong before

• Research was reviewed by peers who have expertise in the field

Tags

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